Estara Arrant

University of Cambridge, Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit, Post-Doc

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Supervisors: Prof. Geoffrey Khan, Dr Ben Outhwaite, and Prof. Hector Patmore

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Papers by Estara Arrant

A Codicological and Linguistic Typology of Common Torah Codices from the Cairo Genizah

This PhD thesis develops a typology of common Torah codices from the Cairo Genizah. As many of th... more This PhD thesis develops a typology of common Torah codices from the Cairo Genizah. As many of these codices have a non-standard form of Tiberian vocalisation (NST) the thesis also develops a typology of this vocalisation present in the corpus. These codices lack the full features associated with exemplary Bibles (having at least two columns of text, written on parchment, with Masoretic notes), and NST is the use of Tiberian Hebrew vowel signs and orthography which deviates from standard Tiberian vocalisation (ST), the main reference point for which is Codex Leningradensis. Previous research only studied a small number of NST MSS in order to contextualise them within the development of standard Tiberian, and they pay little attention to codicology. Likewise, Bibles which do not fit a certain level of codicological sophistication have never been systematically assessed (for a significant corpus). This thesis takes a representative sample of ~ 1,500 Torah fragments (~1,800 if numbers ...

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Standard Tiberian Pronunciation in a Non-Standard Form: T-S AS 64.206

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Fragment of the Month : April 2019 Standard Tiberian Pronunciation in a Non-Standard Form : TS AS 64 . 206

Scholars of the Hebrew Bible typically present, as part of a general summary, the three vocalisat... more Scholars of the Hebrew Bible typically present, as part of a general summary, the three vocalisation systems present in the most well-known manuscripts: the Tiberian, Palestinian, and Babylonian vocalisation traditions. However there also are manuscripts which have variations in the use of Tiberian vocalisation and diacritical signs; these are thought to reflect a variety of linguistic phenomena and perhaps a diversity of reading traditions. Scholarship has grouped these together into an entity which is now known as Non-Standard Tiberian (hereafter, NST). Some of the most recognised features include the unexpected use of dagesh in alef and wordand syllable-initial sonorants, the use of shewa in place of furtive pataḥ or under particular consonants to reinforce their pronunciation, and the extensive interchange of nearly every different vowel sign with each other (but most commonly pataḥ/qameṣ and ṣere/segol, as well as pataḥ /ḥatef pataḥ and shewa/ ḥatef pataḥ).[1] The most well-stu...

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An Exploratory Typology of Near-Model and Non-Standard Tiberian Torah Manuscripts from the Cairo Genizah

Semitic Languages and Cultures, 2020

Estara Arrant examines categories of Torah codices from the Cairo Genizah that have not been affo... more Estara Arrant examines categories of Torah codices from the Cairo Genizah that have not been afforded sufficient scholarly attention, namely ‘near-model’ codices, a term coined by Arrant. The study analyses almost three hundred fragments by means of a methodology based on statistical analysis. The study shows how statistical methods can be employed to reveal sub-types of Torah fragments that share linguistic and codicological features.

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A Further Analysis of the ‘Byzantine (Italian- Levantine) Triad’ of Features in Common Torah Codices

Open Book Publishers, Nov 3, 2022

Institute of Languages and Cultures of the Mediterranean and the Near East (ILC-CSIC). Her resear... more Institute of Languages and Cultures of the Mediterranean and the Near East (ILC-CSIC). Her research is focused on the textual transmission and the reception of the Hebrew Bible text attested in the rabbinic literature and the Masora, i.e., the marginal annotations placed in medieval Hebrew Bible manuscripts. She is also interested in annotation practices in medieval Hebrew Bibles, as well as Hebrew palaeography. She is author of several monographs and many articles, including Masora:

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Three Fragments of a Judaeo-Arabic Translation of Ecclesiastes with Full Tiberian Vocalisation

Intellectual History of the Islamicate World

Judaeo-Arabic manuscripts with complete vocalisation are rare, a problem which makes reconstructi... more Judaeo-Arabic manuscripts with complete vocalisation are rare, a problem which makes reconstructing the pronunciation of the medieval language challenging. This study presents an edition of a Judaeo-Arabic translation of Ecclesiastes from the Cairo Genizah with full Tiberian vocalisation. This manuscript exhibits noteworthy features of dialectal medieval Arabic and a palaeographic style which places it in twelfth-century Egypt-Palestine. The transcription system provides specific evidence for the pronunciation of a type of medieval Judaeo-Arabic, while the translation offers a window into the culture of popular Bible translations and scribal activity in the medieval Middle East.

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Three Fragments of a Judaeo-Arabic Translation of Ecclesiastes with Full Tiberian Vocalisation

Intellectual History of the Islamicate World

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Standard Tiberian Pronunciation in a Non-Standard Form: T-S AS 64.206

Fragment of the Month, April 2019, Taylor Schechter Genizah Research Unit, 2019

In this paper I explore the "non-standard" Tiberian linguistic features of an Italian-Byzantine c... more In this paper I explore the "non-standard" Tiberian linguistic features of an Italian-Byzantine codex fragment from the Cairo Genizah. Although the naqdan who wrote this codex did not adhere to the placement of vowels according to the "standard" Tiberian tradition, the pronunciation of the text remains in agreement with our understanding of the Tiberian reading tradition.

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The Structural and Linguistic Features of Three Hebrew Begging Letters from the Cairo Genizah

Studies in Semitic Linguistics and Manuscripts: A Liber Discipulorum in Honour of Professor Geoffrey Khan, 2018

An edition of three heretofore unedited Genizah begging letters written in Hebrew, and a contextu... more An edition of three heretofore unedited Genizah begging letters written in Hebrew, and a contextualised study of their language features and internal formulaic structure.

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